Publix Gives High Priority to Sustainability Initiative

Though Publix has been focused on conservation since its founding in the 1930s, the company “was in the closet” on sustainability until last July, said Michael Hewett, manager of environmental services, Publix Super Markets, Lakeland, Fla., yesterday at the FMI Show/Marketechnics.

LAS VEGAS — Though Publix has been focused on conservation since its founding in the 1930s, the company “was in the closet” on sustainability until last July, said Michael Hewett, manager of environmental services, Publix Super Markets, Lakeland, Fla., yesterday at the FMI Show/Marketechnics here. After participating in a Florida environmental conference last year, “sustainability became a tier-one corporate initiative for Publix,” said Hewett. In the last eight months, the company has obtained senior management buy-in, developed a cross-functional team on sustainability, and recruited “smart people” from outside the company to assist it. Publix set up a Web page dedicated to sustainability and later this year will launch a micro-website on its sustainability programs.